Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

RAF Typhoon Team to perform at Bahrain Airshow

01/10/2014

The Royal Air Force Typhoon Display Team will display daily at the show, with Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris taking Eurofighter Typhoon to the skies once again following a fun-packed season showcasing its performance throughout 2013, with the most recent at the Al Ain Aerobatic Show.

B-52 upgrade to increase smart-weapons capacity

01/09/2014

Tinker AFB Airmen will update ground maintenance and mission planning software in support of a new Air Force contract that will increase the B-52 Stratofortress's "smart-weapons" capacity by 50 percent. The $24.6 million agreement stipulates that Boeing will develop a modification to existing weapon launchers so the aircraft can carry smart weapons in the bomb bay, which will enable aircrews to use the B-52's entire weapons capacity.

China to build more aircraft carriers

01/09/2014

Military experts describe China's arms race as a global military force following China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning returning to its home port of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province on January 1, completing a 37 day scientific and training mission in the South China Sea.

Helicopter crash: Aircraft was from biggest US base

01/09/2014

Nearly 4,500 active-duty military members work for the wing, which includes a separate base at nearby RAF Feltwell, supported by nearly 2,000 British and US civilians. The base is home to F-15 fighter planes, the US Air Forces in Europe’s (USAFE) only F-15 fighter wing.

Two Killed in Navy Helicopter Crash Off Virginia Coast: 1 Still Missing

01/09/2014

A Navy helicopter with five crew members went down in the Atlantic off the Virginia coast during a routine mission Wednesday, killing two crew members and injuring two, the U.S. Navy said. Rescuers were still looking for a fifth person. The Navy identified the aircraft as an MH-53E. The helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Fourteen based at Naval Station Norfolk, was conducting routine training operations at the time of the crash, the Navy said.

French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle arrives in Abu Dhabi

01/09/2014

The 42,500-tonne vessel set sail from Toulon 45 days ago on a three-month mission – named Bois Belleau after a First World War battle fought in 1918 – and its latest port of call is Abu Dhabi. After a short stop in Djibouti, the 12-storey ship docked in Port Zayed on Wednesday, and will remain there for four days.

Britain investigating USAF helicopter crash

01/09/2014

British investigators Wednesday were trying to establish what caused a U.S. Air Force helicopter to crash in a bird sanctuary during a "low-level" training mission along the eastern coast of England in which four crewmembers died. The HH-60G Pave Hawk, an updated version of the U.S. Army Black Hawk, went down in the Cley Marshes nature reserve on Tuesday evening, in Norfolk.

U.S. Navy Awards Lockheed Martin $84 Million Contract for Production of Paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds

01/09/2014

Lockheed Martin received an $84.5 million contract on Dec. 23 from the U.S. Navy to produce paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTR). Under the four-year indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver ELGTRs, shipping containers, logistics and product support to the U.S. Navy.

Indonesia Considers Purchasing Russian Su-35 Jets

01/09/2014

Indonesia is considering Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 fighter as a replacement for its Air Force’s aging F-5 Tiger jet, the country’s defense minister said. The Su-35 is one of half a dozen options on the table, Purnomo Yusgiantoro told a press conference, Antara news agency reported Tuesday.

Russian Military to Strengthen Radar Defenses in 2014

01/09/2014

The Russian Aerospace Defense Force will add dozens of radars this year, a force spokesman said Wednesday. The list includes six Nebo-M active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) and a mix of 23 Podlyot low-altitude and Sopka medium- and high-altitude radars, the spokesman told journalists. An unspecified number of modernized Kasta and Desna radars is also on the list.

Refitted Former Russian Aircraft Carrier Arrives in India

01/09/2014

A refitted former Soviet aircraft carrier has reached the Indian coast after leaving Russia’s northern shipyard in mid-November, media report said on Wednesday. The Vikramaditya, a refurbished Russian carrier formerly known as the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived at a naval base in Kanwar in the western state of Karnataka on Tuesday, Indian IBN television reported citing sources in the Navy.

Defense Ministry looking to replace aging F-5 tiger fighter aircraft

01/08/2014

The Indonesian Defense Ministry announced its plan to replace the F-5 Tiger fighter aircraft with the latest generation of jet fighters such as the Russian Sukhoi Su-35. "We have received proposals from several jet fighter manufacturers for replacing the F-5 Tiger fighter aircraft. We are in the process of evaluating which jet fighter will best suit our requirements, whether the aircraft is from Russia, USA, or other countries," stated Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, here on Tuesday.

Military going to the ends of the earth to keep search-and-rescue airplanes flying

01/08/2014

The Canadian military has been going across the globe to keep its aging search-and-rescue airplanes flying, reiterating the desperate need for replacement aircraft following decades of delays and political squabbling. Top Defence Department officials were told in a secret briefing last year that the military had been forced to “purchase spare parts from around the world” to ensure the “continued airworthiness” of the Air Force’s 47-year-old Buffalo airplanes.

Despite appearances, Japan insists Izumo is not an aircraft carrier

01/08/2014

The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s newest ship has a flight deck its entire length and is nearly the size of the Shokaku and Zuikaku aircraft carriers that took part in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, yet Japan insists it is not an aircraft carrier. With a length of about 250 meters and standard displacement of 19,500 tons, the Izumo is the biggest ship in the fleet. Up to nine helicopters can land on its deck at the same time.

P18.9-B FA-50 trainer jet project hangs; DND pitches counteroffer to Koreans

01/08/2014

The project to procure 12 units of Korean trainer jets worth a total P18.9 billion for the Philippine Air Force continues to hang over issues of downpayment and after-sales service turnaround, but the Department of National Defense, which recommended a counter-offer, remains confident the deal will push through.

Hollande drives for arms deals in Persian Gulf as U.S. power wanes

01/08/2014

French President Francois Hollande is pushing hard to restore Paris' once-thriving defense links with the Persian Gulf monarchies, especially the major military power Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of securing major arms deals.

Hungary takes over Slovenian air policing

01/08/2014

Hungary has taken over responsibility for policing Slovenia's airspace, it was announced on 3 January. Under the arrangement, Hungarian Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter aircraft will provide air policing coverage of Slovenian airspace. Since Slovenia's accession to NATO in 2004, Italy has provided air policing of Slovenian airspace with Italian Air Force aircraft based in Italy. The policing of Slovenian airspace is one of three extant NATO air policing missions.

US air force helicopter crashes in Norfolk, killing at least four people

01/08/2014

At least four people have been killed after a US military helicopter crashed during a training exercise near a Royal Air Force base close to the Norfolk coast. A 400m area was cordoned off by police following the incident near the village of Cley-next-the-Sea, at around 6pm and local people were told to stay clear.

First combat deployable F-22s arrive at Tyndall

01/08/2014

Tyndall Air Force Base received the first five-of-24 F-22 Raptors scheduled to transfer from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Jan. 6 as part of their new combat mission. The aircraft are now a part of the 95th Fighter Squadron, which was reactivated in October 2013.

'Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft by 2018'

01/08/2014

The product design work of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft has been started by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the vehicle is expected to be ready in 2018, Dr Tamilmani, Director General (Aeronautical Systems) DRDO, Bangalore has said.

Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries' Arrow 3 Interceptor Successfully Completes 2nd Flight Test

01/08/2014

The next-generation Arrow 3 interceptor, co-developed by Boeing and Israel Aerospace Industries’ MLM Division, has completed its second successful flight test, further demonstrating its ability to enhance Israel’s multi-tier anti-ballistic missile defense strategy.

Every Russian Region to Get Drones Department – Minister

01/07/2014

Every Russian region is to have its own drones department, the Emergencies Minister said Monday. "Special branches that will be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles and other necessary robotic systems will be created in all regions. We plan to make very active use of all robotic technology, including drones," Vladimir Puchkov told journalists during a working trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

Japan’s National Security Strategy and Reactions from China

01/06/2014

The East Asian region is witnessing a turbulent period in its history. Never before in history of East Asia, there had been an absence of power competition when a rising power threatened to challenge the established and sole recognized power in the region. Japan’s ascendance as the dominant military power during the pre-War years when Japan emerged as a major colonial power in Asia coincided with China’s eclipse from its preeminence position of the Middle Kingdom period.

Czech Government Finally Finds A Customer For Surplus Fighter Jets

01/06/2014

Surplus Czech fighter aircraft will be sold to a U.S. company. For much of the last decade the Czech army has been touting its excess L-159 fighter and trainer aircraft for sale to foreign armies or companies. During that time the planes have been wrapped in protective covers in hangers and accumulating ever growing storage costs met by the Ministry of Defense.

Printing planes: BAE Systems now using 3D printed parts in fighter jets

01/06/2014

BAE Systems is using 3D printed components in fighter jets flown in the UK. The news suggests that in the future, parts could simply be printed out when needed on the battlefield. The first parts where used on board Tornado fighter jets flying out of the defence firm's airfield at Warton, Lancashire, last month.